I so need one of these...

You can buy them online here...

Obama sushi

From the silly files...check this out

More Superbowl ad previews...

My response to this new Pepsi Max ad was "...mmmm...bad". Check it out.

And this one....no better.

These are not New Zealand men.

And I really miss New Zealand ads...

Preview of some of the Superbowl ads...

Forgive me, but my love of American Football is marginal at best, so like probably 50% of the viewership of the Superbowl this Sunday I'll be more focussed on the beer, the snacks, and the ad breaks....

Here's a sneak preview of some of the ads making their debut this Sunday...

Happy Marketing at its best...

This just makes me smile...and if a brand can get a consumer to smile (and thereby make an emotional connection) that's a home run.

And done with the insight that what do people do when they see something cool and spontaneous - they pull out their mobile phone and capture it...

Love it.

A T-Mobile campaign at Liverpool Station from a few days ago...

New slang you all need to know

In an effort to keep readers hip and current here are some new Gen-X inspired slang terms to pepper into your vocabulary (from Trendcentral)

I may be guilty of a little myselfish on Facebook...and I vote that Patrick Jnr is a little smashed potatoes at times...

RECESSION-INSPIRED SLANG
Povo (po-vo)
adj. Spawned from the increasing popularity of new HBO series Summer Heights High, the Aussie slang for poor has infiltrated the vocabulary of recessionistas everywhere
"Caroline, I can't go out to dinner tonight: My pay cut has left me totally povo."

RELATIONSHIP SLANG
Ex-hole
n. Your ex boyfriend/girlfriend who dumped you via Post-it/text/drop-off-the-face-of-the-earth-disappearing-act and who is now flouncing around town with a new love interest
"I bumped into my ex-hole this morning - she said she was so sorry that she cheated on me, blah blah blah. I wanted to puke."

Cupcake
v. To stay home with your boyfriend/girlfriend to cuddle
"It's raining and cold outside; I think I'll skip the bars and cupcake tonight."

Hot Room
n. A social setting that involves a mix of people whose relationships to each other are, well, complicated
"I was sitting next to my current flame and then my ex-hole walked in with his current girlfriend, who I had a falling out with in high school - total hot room!"

DIGITAL SLANG
Pwn (pone)
v. To "power own" something or someone. Derived years ago from World of Warcraft smack talk, this slang has been adopted throughout other online games, and has since surfaced in the mainstream real world
"I pwn-ed Stephen last night in Wii Tennis."

Epic Fail
n. A frequently used term in the video game community that quite simply means you really messed up and/or something/someone is an utter failure
"Dude, your attempt to get that girl's number was an epic fail."

Geequals
n. Two people who are equal in depth of arcane knowledge
"I knew I had met my geequal when Frank showed me his Star Wars light saber iPhone app."

Myselfish
adj. A term used to describe people's need for recognition and self-fulfillment via the Internet. This is accomplished with incessant Facebook status updates and TMI-Twitter feeds, and serves the purpose of making one feel important and/or noticed
"My friends consider my need to Twitter detailed accounts of my trips to Trader Joe's, the gas station, and my opinions on anything, really, to be annoyingly myselfish. I consider it shameless self-promotion!"

THIS YEAR'S REHAB
Retox (ree-tox)
v. To go back on your New Year's resolutions and do the opposite of the goals you set for yourself
"Instead of following my resolution to get fit this year, I decided to retox and take up cooking classes instead. Oh well, no one follows New Year's resolutions anyway, right?"

Smashed Potatoes
adj. Drunk, inebriated, similar to the term "hot mess"
"Sorry I bailed without saying good night, but I was smashed potatoes."

STREET SLANG
Hate-cation
n. Taking a vacation from being a hater where you are committed to not saying anything bad about anyone or anything; synonymous with "moral cleanse"
"Whatever, I know you have an opinion but just can't speak your mind because you are on a hate-cation."

Obama/Not Obama
adj. London street reporters proclaim that our new President has become synonymous with "cool"
"Yeah, that is so Obama!"

Alt-worthy
adj. A term used to describe people or things considered to be cool or trendy
"The pop-up art gallery on Elizabeth Street is alt-worthy."

'Kward (kwerd)
adj. Awkward
"Whoa, that conversation was very 'kward."

Men won't give up sex for their internet connection...

...but stick a giant plasma screen in front of them and it's a whole new story!

Interesting snippet of new research out today from Harris Interactive saying that close to half of women surveyed said that they would choose to abandon sex for two weeks rather than give up their internet access. 

Although nearly 46% of women respondents showed their willingness to give up their sex life over web access only 30% of men surveyed would do the same.

However according to Reuters, an earlier survey said that nearly half of men would forgo sex for six months if they could have a 50-inch plasma TV. Only just over a third of women said they'd do the same...

Wonder what Kevin Roberts will have to say on this one relative to his thoughts on sisomo...!

Whopper Virgins

Oh dear...a sad and disturbing example of Americans trying to dominate other cultures - this time with a hamburger. This is sickening but delightful at the same time - not least of which is the look of disgust on the Romanian mens' faces when offered a burger to try...

From the Hartford Courant:

"While (Burger King) spent millions of dollars happily tracking down people with no 'hamburger awareness' the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has to go begging because they can only get one-thirtieth of the money they need to rebuild the developing world's shattered food systems," said Food First, an advocacy group that fights hunger.

Barbara Lippert, a columnist for Adweek, called the ads "culturally tone-deaf." But Russ Klein, Burger King's president of global marketing strategy, defended the campaign in a news release: "During a time when consumers are craving it most, honesty and transparency are the heart and soul of this campaign. By embarking on a voyage of this magnitude that held no guarantees and left us open to vulnerabilities, we took a leap of faith that our signature product would win people over at first bite."

We are told that the burger virgins preferred — surprise, surprise — Whoppers to Big Macs, but we are only left to wonder how American-style junk food, laden with hormones, steroids and saturated fats, was received by their pristine digestive systems.

Saying of the day....

"We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak". Epictetus (Greek philosopher)

Great theory - especially in marketing, and especially when dealing with clients...

Great new TVC from Nike

Now imagine that same ad but done by Saatchi Auckland (sorry Denise, Ogilvy), of an All Black and a Wallaby....!

Five minutes of fun

Another delightful time-waster from the agency that brought us the Dancing Elves...this time Super Hero Yourself from Kodak...Click on the link here for my super hero video...!

From USA Today today

Airline seeks bald men as walking billboards

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand's national airline is offering to pay bald travelers to use their heads — literally — in a new advertising campaign.

Air New Zealand said it wants 70 recruits to stand in lines in three airports — while wearing temporary tattoos on the back of their heads so the displays can be seen by people lining up behind them.

The airline would pay 1,000 New Zealand dollars ($660) for each walking billboard, a company official said.

The tattoos will promote a new system that is meant to reduce check-in waiting times.

Air New Zealand marketing manager Steve Bayliss described the campaign as "a bit of fun."

"It's a ... tattoo on the back of someone's head, so they have to have their head shaved or be bald already," he told National Radio on Wednesday. "It will be an advantage for them to be bald already."

The tattoos would fade or wash off after about two weeks, he said.

Bayliss added that he won't be part of the program since he was "doing OK" in the hair department.eads so the displays can be seen by people lining up behind them.

The airline would pay 1,000 New Zealand dollars ($660) for each walking billboard, a company official said.

The tattoos will promote a new system that is meant to reduce check-in waiting times.

Air New Zealand marketing manager Steve Bayliss described the campaign as "a bit of fun."

"It's a ... tattoo on the back of someone's head, so they have to have their head shaved or be bald already," he told National Radio on Wednesday. "It will be an advantage for them to be bald already."

The tattoos would fade or wash off after about two weeks, he said.

Bayliss added that he won't be part of the program since he was "doing OK" in the hair department.

New Apple ads...

For all you Mac fans out there, Apple has just launched four new TVCs...check them out - here, here, here and here!

It Had to Happen....

McCain Foods Hits the Campaign Trail

Spud Peddler Cashes In on Namesake Politician's Run for Prez

Published: August 25, 2008

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- Some tie-ins just write themselves. McCain Foods, a Canadian package-food company that has languished in American freezer aisles for years, has decided it's time for a change -- at least in frozen potatoes.

In the running: Marketer takes advantage of presidential campaign.

McCain is spending the equivalent of its annual online budget between now and early November. The swell is fortuitously in sync with the ascendance of the presidential candidate of the same name. Just like a politician, the company is capitalizing on name recognition with an election-themed campaign, breaking this week in USA Today. 

"We were looking at how to make our ad dollars work harder for us with breakthrough advertising in an Olympic and [election] year," Frank Finn, senior VP-commercial operations for McCain Foods USA, said of his company's search for "disruptive" advertising. 

McCain and Chicago-based agency Schafer Condon Carter decided on "Why McCain should be in the White House." The campaign is for the company's namesake frozen french fries, sweet-potato fries and kid-friendly "smiles." Since McCain doesn't use trans-fatty oils, a sample slogan is "McCain goes to war over oil." Another one: "McCain brings 'smiles' to millions," referencing the company's disc-shaped potato product with smiley faces cut out. 

The campaign will start in print and then go online with a politically themed website, complete with a gruff, mumbling "spokespotato" in a suit and horn-rimmed glasses. There is a variety of sections, including "Ask the Candidate," "Recipes for Change" and the ever-important polls (baked or fried?). Web banners on other sites are expected to draw consumers to the company's website, mccainusa.com. 

On-screen talent
Schafer Condon managing partner Tim Condon said the agency will alert John McCain's people before the full-page USA Today ad drops Aug. 29. 

Need to dial in sick...on the sly?

How long before this new service makes it to New Zealand...?!

Need to call in “sick” but don't want to risk talking to the boss? SlyDial lets you have your call and skip it, too. The sneaky service connects directly to a person's voicemail, no conversation required.

Dial 267-SLYDIAL, then enter any mobile number or a pre-saved contact. The service is free if you listen to 30-second ads before connecting; premium subscribers go directly to voicemail.

SlyDial brazenly touts itself as an avoidance tactic, but callees reap benefits, too. They aren't interrupted by a ringing phone and can listen to messages at their leisure.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS

Admit it: There are times you're secretly glad to get voicemail. Thanks to SlyDial, you'll never be disconcerted by having the person you're calling pick up. For the always connected, a service that provides a respite from communication overload could be a number worth keeping.

Where's Your Baacode From...?

Love this new marketing concept from NZ merino clothing label Icebreaker...

They've made it easy for customers to find out where their fleecy products came from with the help of a system they're calling Baacode which launched last week.

Baacode gives each item of clothing a unique tracking number, which when entered into Icebreaker's website allows you to find out exactly where your clothing was made, even allowing you to take a virtual tour of the New Zealand ranch on which "your" sheep was raised.

The aim is for customers to learn more about the work that goes into making an item of clothing and for Icebreaker to make their operating practices transparent to the consumer.

And the video clips links to the station....priceless. Everything I love about New Zealand. 

The Problem of the Wrong Celebrity Endorsement

From the WSJ:  When You're Here, You're Family - But What About a Playboy Model?

Olive Garden Has Mixed Feelings  About Its Biggest Celebrity Fan

By REBECCA DANA

Kendra Wilkinson, a Playboy cover model, television star and one of Hugh Hefner's three live-in girlfriends, professes deep love for the Olive Garden Italian restaurant chain.

The feeling isn't mutual.

To the consternation of Olive Garden's marketers, who have spent millions crafting the franchise's family-friendly image, the 23-year-old adult-entertainment star and aspiring real-estate mogul repeatedly uses her spotlight to rave about its midprice eateries. Ms. Wilkinson hoists Olive Garden doggie bags in the air and extols its chicken parmigiana. She once scandalized European diners by declaring the Olive Garden preferable to any restaurants in Italy.

Ms. Wilkinson, whose tan skin and blonde-white hair project classic California, isn't on the payroll. She is a rogue brand ambassador: a celebrity who is genuinely, publicly devoted to a product or service, even if he or she doesn't quite embody the values that the brand's managers may be trying to convey.

Executives at Olive Garden declined to discuss the uninvited spokesmodel. One official says the company has tried to walk a fine line with its response, maintaining the chain's wholesome image without alienating potential customers. "I don't feel comfortable talking about this...because it is a complicated issue for the brand," says Michele Kay, executive vice president of WPP Group's Grey advertising firm, which handles the Olive Garden account.

Ms. Wilkinson says that when she started praising the restaurant on television and on her very popular MySpace page, it never crossed her mind what the folks at Olive Garden might think. "I don't speak about it to get paid for it," she says. "I speak about it because I love it. I understand they're a family restaurant, but I think it can't hurt them to have a little spice.".........

Earlier this year, buoyed by her starring role on "The Girls Next Door," a highly rated reality show that follows the lives of Mr. Hefner's girlfriends, Ms. Wilkinson launched a modeling competition for attractive Olive Garden waitresses. The prize: a nude Playboy pictorial. Ms. Wilkinson took the contestants' photographs herself.

"Our position is that our team members as private citizens have freedom to participate," says Olive Garden spokesman Mara Frazier. "While we're not endorsing the initiative, we're not making choices for our employees." Olive Garden is a unit of Orlando, Fla.-based Darden Restaurants Inc., which also owns the Red Lobster seafood chain.

Playboy has made similar mischief before, running contests for such groups as employees of Wal-Mart and McDonald's and students from Ivy League schools. But Ms. Wilkinson's affection for Olive Garden comes from a deeper place.

(and the piece de resistance.....!!!)   During a recent tour of Italy, Ms. Wilkinson, followed by "The Girls Next Door" cameras, was asked how that country's finest cuisine compares with her favorite restaurant's.

"It doesn't," she declared, flustering some of her dining companions. Ms. Wilkinson now says she meant to say that the food is on par -- but what's missing is the sentimental attachment she has to the Olive Garden.

Great Design

Why Apple must be such a great client to work with....they just get it...

Reverse Graffiti

A clever idea for a perfect marketing partnership - a reverse graffiti artist who creates art from cleaning surfaces, paired with Clorox Green Works cleaning products

Wish I'd thought of it!

Retro keyboard

Funny how something the total antithesis of the sleek mac white bluetooth keyboard can still look so way cool. 

I want one!

Check them out